Ambitious beginning to a series, with lots of complex world building and a main character who knows nothing - less even than Jon Snow.

I thought it was awfully wordy, and would have liked less internal dialog and more action. The story itself was interesting and I can see why so many folks like it. Interesting take on magic and sorcery. ( )

I am a huge fan of CJ Cherryh's scifi works, but have not delved much into her fantasy offerings. I tackled a chunkster fantasy novel of hers this weekend, Fortress in the Eye of Time, and it's a keeper.

As most of her writings, Fortress in the Eye of Time starts very slowly, almost slow enough for me to throw in the towel. But I was determined to give this story my best try, and I'm glad I did.

As with most of her works, this author does not feed you all the background and minor bits of information, but puts you immediately into an ongoing story, like being dropped into a swiftly flowing river, and you have to work in order to keep afloat, but it's so worth it.

The characters are three-dimensional, the plot is believable, and the intrigue and politics are not overstated, but perfectly balanced with the rest of the book. I got so involved with the story that I did not put it down at night until I could not keep my eyes open.

This is a thinking-person's fantasy novel, and highly recommended. ( )

Overall I liked this fantasy epic featuring the innocent Tristan trying to understand his purpose in the world. Sometimes, however, I wish there was a list of characters and their connections as many of the names were similar and I found it hard to keep track of who was who. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Fortress of Eagles. ( )

This book is one of a series and, like so many, it tends to be unsatisfying and inconclusive when read alone. Unfortunately, the book did not offer me enough to induce me to read another in the series. A well-imagined alternate reality fantasy, with much to recommend it (including a Hugo) the book ran too long and much of the narrative read like "filler."

We start with a wizard named Mauryl Gestaurian. He is living in a crumbling tower, and due to various promises he has made and the presence of an undead enemy named Hasufin, he decides to create a Shaping that will solve both of his problems. However, something goes wrong with his summoning, and instead of a great warrior-wizard, he gets a terrifyingly innocent and naïve young man Mauryl calls Tristen.

Despite Tristen at first being a completely blank slate, he quickly learns about the world around him, with Mauryl’s somewhat impatient help. He is still however very childlike and innocent. When Mauryl’s enemy succeeds in defeating him, Tristen is left alone, and wanders to the Zeide, the capitol of the Amefel, where Cefwyn, the Crown Prince of Ylesuin is attempting to navigate the dangerous waters of a restless and rebellious province. Cefwyn becomes interested in Tristen, and befriends him despite the misgivings of Idrys, the commander of his guard. As their friendship develops, Hasufin follows, attempting to gain an entrance into the physical world through Cefwyn’s enemies.

Deep in an abandoned, shattered castle, an old man of the Old Magic muttered almost forgotten words. His purpose -- to create out of the insubstance of the air, from a shimmering of light and a fluttering of shadows. that most wonderous of spells, a Shaping. A Shaping in the form of a, young man who will be sent east on the road the old was to old to travel. To right the wrongs of a long-forgotten wizard war, and call new wars into being. Here is the long-awaited major new novel from one of the brightest stars in the fantasy and science fiction firmament.C.J.Cherryh's haunting story of the wizard Mauryl, kingmaker for a thousand years of Men, and Tristen, fated to sow distrust between a prince and his father being. A tale as deep as legend and a intimate as love, it tells of a battle beyond Time, in which all Destiny turns on the wheel of an old man's ambition, a young man's innocence, and the unkept promised of a king to come.

It was a shadow age and a shadow place. Deep in a forest, in a ruined castle, an ancient wizard creates a Shaping, in the form of a young man. The wizard sends the yong man on a journey to right the wrongs of a long-forgotten wizard war, and to call new wars into being.… (more)